JAM Games

These games are short, simple and often very rough games I've made for gaming jams or other competitions. These are definitely not a good example of my work and are here more as a curiosity. Don't really expect many gems here but there's a few good ideas amidst all the rubbish.

I've added a little banner next to each game to let you know if I think it's (a) good by my standards at least and maybe worth a shot, (b) interesting but still very roughly put together, (c) total crap, or (d) more intended as a joke than a real game.

Anything in this section is under a very loose Creative Commons license so use stuff here in your own works if you like, just give me a credit.

Ludum Dare SOPA Jam (January 2012)

Delete
I made this game in a JAM meant to contribute to the awareness campaign about the unpopular SOPA bill in the US.Windows / Mac / Web

Ludum Dare 18 (August 2010)

Action 52 Owns (June-July 2010)

I made two games as part of a joint TIGSource project to remake all 52 terrible games in the Action 52 NES cartridge. The plan was that we'd remake them all into good games. The overall project never finished but some great games were made.

Alfredo
I remade the bland kitchen themed platformer into a mini metroidvania with a meta-gaming narrative.WindowsGame Maker SourceCover[Current speed run record @defrost 8 deaths, 6 mins]

Critical Bypass
A remake of the abysmal shooter from the Action 52 cart into a 3D rail shooter akin to Panzer Dragoon. I tried to make this into a mini space epic. I put a lot of work into this but the game play didn't really come out that well.Windows / Mac / WebUnity SourceCover

Jam at the World of Love (June 2010)

Following the World of Love conference for indie game developers we did a two day London game jam.

Blind Faith
I worked with Terry Cavanagh on this game, as we had both had no ideas for a 3 hour jam. He gave me 3D artwork, sound and music without discussing it with me and I had to find way of fitting into a game.Windows / Mac / WebCover

Darkening
We had a three hour jam where I wasted an hour and a half on water effect in unity, which was getting interesting but I knew I was never going to get a game made. So I spent the other 90 minutes on this little shadow avoiding game.Windows / Mac / WebUnity SourceCover

Winter Days
Enjoy a lovely winter's day in this spiritual successor to Fishing Days. Featuring "Happiness in Winter" by Sycamore Drive. Arrow keys to move, space to interact with things around you.
v2 Web
v1 WindowsCover

Klik of the Month Club #36 (June 2010)

Spinzy
You're in a swimming pool, naked, swinging around on some rope, trying to escape police officers who aren't keen on the whole situation.Download (3.8MB Windows)Game Maker Source (1.6MB)Cover Image

TIGJamUK3 (June 2010)

Another weekend long jam at CB2 in Cambridge, 30 developers and over 100 games made in a series of 3 hours jams. Check out the rest of the games over at http://www.cambridgeindies.com

Find The Trumpet
For the final monday morning jam we had the themes "cambridge" and "paint program" I left the painting to the smart folks and made THE hidden object game of Cambridge.Windows / Mac / WebUnity SourceCover Image

A Familiar Horror
We did a technical restriction jam, from the choise of "text only", "photos" and "mouse only" I decided to go with the text one and made this little horro game. One man's horrific journey into tragic madness.WindowsGame Maker SourceCover Image

Garden of Delight
Arriving late I only caught the last 40 minutes of the "make a game called Garden of Delight" jam and so made this little joke game.WindowsGame Maker SourceCover Image

Portable Bastard
For our VMU jam, restricted on resolution, palette and controls I made this horrible little exploration game. Explore the country and add your own mischief and poo.WindowsGame Maker SourceCover Image

Driftwood
A short mood piece built around the themes "White Holes" and "Stay Awake". A tired man in an escape pod fighting the inevitable.Windows / Mac / WebUnity SourceCover Image

No One Died
For a two hour jam (with a half hour extension) about "Cameras" I made this voyeuristic game of watching a weird beast as it strolls around a trendy London flat. As the watchman you must keep the beast in view at all times to ensure he does not run free.Windows / Mac / WebUnity SourceCover Image

Fishing Days
Made in three hours to fit the themes of "Fish" and/or "Summer & Heat" this is a simple Atari retro styled fishing and relaxation simulation.
v2 Web
v1 Windows / Game Maker SourceCover Image

The Games Collective Pageant #2 (May 2010)

Test Subject Infinity
Trapped in a barren test chamber like so many other nameless protagonists. Things are not as fair and even as they might appear and escape, while possible, can only be achieved by attaining a sense of "negative capability".Windows / MacUnity SourceCover Image

Themed Trainwreck Thursdays #2 (May 2010)

I made this game as part of Glorious Trainwrecks themed Thursday game jam. We were required to make a game in 2 hours that was inspired in some way by Pokemon.

Pocket Masters
A brief but hopefully amusing parody of the adventures of a young boy come of age heading out into the world in search of adventure.Download (2.2MB Windows)Game Maker Source (32.8KB)Cover Image

Themed Trainwreck Thursdays #1 (April 2010)

I made this game as part of Glorious Trainwrecks first themed Thursday game jam. Games were meant to be styled around falling blocks. I intentionally chose to mildly subvert this, and made a platformer.

Droppery
Use falling platforms to reach the exit in this glorious buggery platformer. Made in 1 hour I embraced the janky platforming and made using it to your advantage a requirement to finishing this trainwreck.Download (2.2MB Windows)Game Maker Source (13.5KB)Cover Image

Let's Get This Over With
All you have to do is survive 10 seconds in this gloriously simple avoid 'em up. 10 mere seconds and you can move on with your life. 10 seconds...Download (2.67MB Windows)Game Maker Source (0.5MB)Cover Image

Glorious GDC Gameboree 2010 (March 2010)

At the end of GDC 2010 I joined a gathering of indie devs in the lobby of the San Francisco Hilton to sit and make games as part of 2-hour game jam for Glorious Trainwrecks.

MMMMMM
An independent game purchasing contemplation simulator. You've been hearing about Terry Cavanagh's indie title VVVVVV but is it really worth $15? This game will take you on a journey as you make that decision.Download (8.6MB Windows)Download (11.9MB Mac)Cover Image

MiniLD 16 - Constraints (February 2010)

For this 48-hour game making competition we had to abide a set of strange constraints limiting resolution, colours, and particularly player input.

Dungeon Bastard
As heroes attempt to invade your dungeon you must deploy traps and use spells to summon monsters to kill the hero before they reach you. I've only done 1-level so this is more a prototype than a full game. I'd love to expand this into something longer with more depth.Download (3.4MB Windows)Game Maker Source (1.1MB)Cover Image

Global Games Jam 2010 - QANTM College, London (January 2010)

I joined a team of five to make a game in this global 48-hour game development challenge. I acted as the game designer and sort of producer, but it wasnt that formal.

Kingdom Hurts
The theme for the weekend was "deception" so we made an anti-game, where every element of the level design, structure and story work against the player to trick and decieve them. The final product is VERY rough but judges named our game "most metaphorical for real life" and "most potential".Download (36.1MB Windows) [Requires XNA Framework 3.1 to be installed]

TIGJam UK 2 (January 2010)

This was a great event with over 30 people from the TIGSource forums. I spent most of the weekend making games for 3-hour challenges.

Whale of a Time
Whale of a Time is a short puzzle-platformer involving travelling back and forth between three different time zones in an effort to save the world. The design is heavily inspired by the classic Dizzy series. It's only a short adventure with little story but hopefully you'll find it interesting.
Music by BlotDownload (14.3MB Windows)Game Maker Source (12.7MB)Screenshot

Detective Story
For our 1-hour jam I decided to make a short interactive story using Ren'Py. I won't say much about the content as it would spoil what little humour I attempted to inject into this.Download (6.5MB Windows)Download (9.6MB Mac OSX)

Noisy Boat
An audio only adventure game, you are trapped on a boat with something strange. This is incomplete in that all you can do right now is explore until you find the hunter and die. Would love to do more with this when I have some time. Planned to have hunter move around the ship while you find a way to kill it.Download (7MB Windows)Game Maker Source (5.0MB)

Enlighten Me Up
This a transcendance shoot'em'up and is mostly a failed experiment in adapative difficulty. This is also my most pretenious game of the weekend.Download (5.7MB Windows)Game Maker Source (3.7MB)

Gone With Her Dignity
Reacting to some pretty weird themes for one jam I made a game about Rhett Butler from Gone With The Wind chasing his large mother around a cotton plantation trying to have sex with her before the war arrives. Not a great game, my advice: don't play, don't ask!Download (2.5MB Windows)Game Maker Source (0.5MB)

Kiss from a Rose
Trapped in a small room, beat seals to death as they fly though window before they steal all your oxygen. Funny on paper, but the worst game I made that weekend.Download (5MB Windows)Game Maker Source (2.9MB)

Tear Bringer
A collaborative project in which I did the level design, Terry did the sound and Titch did most of the work. Bounce on babies to make them cry and drain life from the world, the secret to the game is combos!Play Online